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Chambers wins at British trials

— Photo: AP

TRIUMPHANT RUN: Dwain Chambers gestures from the podium after winning the 100m final.

BIRMINGHAM: Free of the steroids he used to take, Dwain Chambers stormed to victory in the 100m final at the British Olympic trials in 10.00 seconds on Saturday.

That doping transgression in 2003 means that instead of being guaranteed a Beijing berth, Chambers’s selection is now at the mercy of a judge.

“It was a clean performance and to me that’s good,” Chambers said after recording his fastest time since 2001. “You have to make mistakes in order to learn from them and I’ve learnt my lesson now. I’m having fun doing it this way.”

The old way

But the old way with the steroid THG, the drug at the centre of the BALCO scandal, is still haunting him. The two-year ban from athletics after testing positive in August 2003 was completed in 2005, but Chambers is excluded for life from the British Olympic team.

To overturn the British Olympic Association’s hardline bylaw on drug cheats, Chambers and his legal team must convince a judge in London’s High Court on Wednesday to grant an injunction before July 20, when Britain has to name its squad for the Aug. 8-24 Games.

“It was just a great feeling to cross the line,” Chambers said. “I’ve done my part. That’s all I can do now and hope that things go well on Wednesday.

“I will respect the judge’s decision, but I strongly believe that decision will go in our favour, and then I can go and have some fun in Beijing. I’ve got a confident mind.”

It was not a smooth passage to gold for Chambers at the Birmingham meet, which doubled as the national championships.

Aside from the jeers at Alexander Stadium, Chambers was .07 slower in the semifinals than his 10.14 time on Friday, with Simeon Williamson advancing to the final in 10.16.

And Williamson powered from the blocks in an emphatic start in the final only for Chambers to recover to win by 0.03.

“I needed Simeon to do what he did to get the best out of myself,” Chambers said. “There are things I’ve got to work on. My start is poor at the moment, but it’s good that we’ve got this healthy competition here. It’s given us a whole lot of confidence — especially for the 4x100.” That is the other selection dilemma facing the BOA. Saturday’s victory would normally also deliver a relay berth. — AP

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